Chapter 21 - Run

In the uppermost cabin of the lift, Jayce, who was silent all the way, couldn't help but ask, "Are you really going to recruit the kid as an apprentice?"

Lilin met his eyes and raised his eyebrows, "You thought I was joking?"

"But... why?"

"You'll understand later, you won't believe me now even if I told you."

"Something I won't understand!?" Jayce's eyes widened, "Why do you always keep secrets from me?"

"Instead of worrying about this, you conserve your energy to study the hex crystal tonight."

Lilin changed the subject.

"... Fine. On that topic, you said this afternoon that you can stabilize the hex crystal. With what principle?"

... the principle of the system...

Lilin turned away. Recollecting for a moment, he gave a general explanation:

"Hex crystals are very unstable in their oscillation, and at first I thought about using a resonance device to reduce the vibrations, but I found out that doesn't work.

"So, since reducing the frequency is not enough, why not..."

"Increase the energy input!" Jayce's eyes suddenly lit up, "And stabilize the crystal in a high frequency environment!"

Lilin nodded and affirmed his statement, "I tried it with crystal fragments, and it's completely feasible."

"Damn it! Why didn't I think of it..."

Finally understanding what he did wrong, Jayce clenched his right fist and hammered the palm of his left hand.

"You are such a genius, Lilin!"

I would be quite a failure as a transmigrator if I'm not a genius.

Lilin looked out the window.

The lift generally stops for about 10 minutes in major stations, and only two or three minutes in the others.

It was almost time now, and he could hear the sound of the lower metal hatch closing.

It didn't take long for the conductor's rough and hoarse voice to come from the horn: "Elevator going up! Next stop, frontier market, agriculture center."

With the roaring noise of the howl, the three sturdy longitudinal rails supported its chunky body, and the exhaust vent spewed out a circle of steam.

After about 20 minutes, the howl peeked out of the dark tunnel, slowed down and finally stopped at Drop Street in Piltover.

Lilin and Jayce followed the few other passengers out of the cabin door.

Immediately afterwards, workers rushed in from outside the diamond-shaped iron fence waiting to take the lift home.

The two walked on the winding cobblestone path.

Taking a few steps, Lilin suddenly turned around and looked behind him.

But the only thing that caught his eye is a group of pushy and noisy citizens.

"What's wrong?"

Jayce noticed Lilin's anomaly and turned his head to match Lilin's line of sight.

Everything looks normal.

"It's nothing, I thought I saw something." Lilin shook his head, "It's getting late, let's go back."

Meanwhile, behind a wall on the corner of the street.

"I told you we shouldn't bring Powder, they almost found out!" Mylo complained to Violet.

"I was so far away, and I'm hiding in the crowd. Why do you think he found me and not you?" Powder retorted.

"Because of your blue hair! You stick out like a sore thumb!"

"But he doesn't know me! So what if he sees me?"

Powder and Mylo became more and more agitated.

"Alright, alright. Calm down, Mylo, it's not really Powder's fault."

Violet pointed to the two figures that were about to disappear from the crowd in the distance, "Also we're gonna lose them, so shut up and get going."

"Hm!" Mylo grunted.

"Hmph!" Powder snorted, turning her face away.

After handling their squabble, Violet continued to lead the three to avoid the enforcers, and secretly tailed Lilin and Jayce.

Finally, they came to the Grand Canyon in Piltover.

The grand canyon, shrouded by the Gray, divides the whole city into the north and the south.

The four looked down from the bridge, and couldn't help but gasp for air. The haze and canyon formed a sight that people in the undercity rarely see.

The high tower of the Academy poked its head out of the thick haze, and the thick cables at the top were fixed to the upper section of the canyon, swaying with the whistling sea wind.

People had started to notice them, the four did not dare to stay on the bridge too much and quickly went to the north side.

In an alley, Violet, Powder, and Mylo scrambled up the roof along drains and metal framing.

Claggor, on the other hand, was on the ground, acting as the tail.

Violet crouched on the edge of the roof and looked down at the crowded street below, "Mylo, do you see Claggor?"

"Let me take a look..."

"There!" Powder caught the attention of the two, "At the end of the street."

"Great, let's go over there."

Said Violet as she jumped forward and landed on the opposite roof.

Powder and Mylo followed closely behind her.

Three thin figures shuttled in the afterglow of the setting sun.

It didn't take long for Claggor to join them, who had just climbed onto the roof from the other side.

"Why did you come up? Where are they?" Mylo asked hurriedly, "Did we lose 'em?"

Claggor glanced at him, "How do you think I would lose two uptowners? They're home."

Saying that, Claggor pointed to a luxuriously decorated mansion, "They went in that one."

"Fancy." Violet with a hint of irony in her tone.

She pointed to the top floor of the mansion, "There. We go in from the balcony."

"Violet, are you sure you wanna do this? There are a lot of officers outside their house..." Claggor was hesitant.

"Coming all the way here just to back off?" Violet glared at him, "I'm going, are you coming or not?"

Claggor and Mylo looked at each other.

Mylo raised his eyebrows and looked indifferent, Claggor sighed, "Okay, but we have to hurry up."

A satisfied smile appeared on Violet's face, "Of course, we have to get back before the sun sets anyways, or Vander'll be mad."

The four took a while to get to the house, climbing along the roof at the top of the mansion, and finally jumped onto the balcony on the top floor.

"There's no light, no one's here, quick."

Violet tried to turn the doorknob of the balcony.

The door was unlocked and opened easily.

The first thing that caught the attention of the four in the room was an arm, made entirely of mechanical parts, placed on a shelf.

"Wow! I know this!"

Powder trotted to the metal arm, reached out and touched it gently, a flash of excitement in her eyes.

"It's the same as the ones that some of those guys have, it's called... something augment, that's right! This is really expensive!"

"Uh, I don't think so. It's too heavy. And too big."

Mylo scratched his head, and opened the drawer closest to him, shocked, "Hey! Guys, look at this!"

"A pistol!?"

Violet and Claggor's faces dropped, and looked at each other.

But Powder looked very excited, "Show me, show me!"

"I found it! Guns aren't for kids like you."

Mylo held the pistol high above his head, unwilling to hand over his souvenir.

"Hey, I've grown up! Not to mention just looking at it, why are you so stingy..."

"Quiet! Don't be so loud!" Violet scowled, "Leave the pistol, hurry up and find something else, they're gonna be back..."

Before she finished her sentence, a sound of gears turning and sliding came from the door.

Although the sound was soft, in their ears it was louder than the howl.

The four of them stopped the movements in their hands instantly, and their eyes turned to the sound source in unison.

It was the sound of a key unlocking.

Violet's mind went blank.

Then, panic flashed in her eyes, "Run!"